The Best Dentists in Hawai‘i 2020

HONOLULU Magazine helps you find the dentist you need, whether it’s for a routine checkup or more specialized work. Everyone on this list comes highly recommended by other dentists, who know the work of fellow professionals.

How We Created This List

Who conducted this survey?

Professional Research Services, a Detroit-based company that administers peer-review surveys of professionals including doctors, lawyers and dentists.

Who was surveyed?

PRS contacted more than 3,000 licensed general dentists, dental specialists and referring physicians (including family medicine, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pediatrics, head and neck plastic surgeons) in Hawai‘i and asked them which dentists they would recommend across seven geographical areas within the Islands. Each dentist was allowed to recommend up to three colleagues in each given dental specialty. Once the ballots were complete, each nominee was carefully evaluated on the basis of the survey results, the legitimacy of their license, and their current standing with the Hawai‘i Dental Board. Dentists who received the highest number of votes in each specialty are reflected by specialty and in alphabetical order.

Patients can get their teeth cleaned at UH Mānoa’s dental hygiene clinic, open during the fall and spring semesters, for just $25. Services range from oral exams to X-rays and periodontal procedures.

SOURCE: UH MĀNOA SCHOOL OF NURSING AND DENTAL HYGIENE

What instructions were they given in completing the survey?

Voting was done online in the summer of 2019. Dentists who visited the site were instructed to vote by clicking on a nomination field and selecting a dentist, organized by specialty. All licensed dentists in the state were available for selection. Dentists were able to recommend up to three colleagues in each given dental specialty and were able to manually nominate three physicians if they did not appear on the drop down list. Respondents were allowed to modify their ballots until the closing date.

Did specialists vote only on their own specialty, and vice-versa for general-practice dentists?

No, people could vote across all practices.

Could a dentist vote for him or herself?

Technically, yes, but most dentists only recommended their colleagues, as the survey was designed as a peer review. Additionally, each dentist appearing on the list received more than one vote.

If you smoke weed, tell your dentist. It may dull your sensitivity to anesthesia.

Source: The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association

Were dentists on every island included in both nominations and polling?

Yes.

What are the voting categories?

The listing includes seven specialties: general dentistry, endodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, periodontics and prosthodontics. Dentists were allowed to vote for three dentists in each category.

Allergies can cause sinus pressure, which can lead to toothaches. In Hawai‘i, allergies are most commonly caused by mango and avocado blossoms.

Source: Hawai‘i Dental Service

Were respondents allowed to make comments on specific dentists?

This is a straight listing—no comments were allowed to influence the final list.

How is this an objective listing if it’s based on opinions?

Like medicine, dentistry is a profession that relies upon dentists referring one another. Peer review is a very effective method of determining who is the best in the field, since it’s based on the opinions of those most in the know: their colleagues.

Are results checked against state of Hawai‘i records for criminal action or misconduct? What would happen if a misconduct complaint had been filed against a winner?

Yes, PRS checks with the Professional and Vocational Licensing Board of the Hawai‘i Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. If a dentist is not in good standing or isn’t currently licensed, that dentist would not be included on the list.

According to the Hawai‘i Department of Health, 71% of third graders had tooth decay in 2017.

Source: Hawai‘i Department of Health

The professionals listed were selected by their peers in a survey conducted by Professional Research Services of Michigan. If you notice any errors, please contact Sofia Shevin at sshevin@hour-media.com. For more information, visit prscom.com.